"Well." Said Steph as Ish fell silent. "What happened then?"
Ish sighed. "Then everything went wrong. "I lost the woman I loved to Zeus and Zeus began making decisions for everyone after he quickly showed them that he was the most powerful god. It was no use even demanding a recount. It was too obvious who was going to be the leader. Oh, some of his decisions weren't liked. Aphrodite swore she wouldn't be the wife of a dirty blacksmith. But Zeus didn't even listen. I thought maybe I could be the god of strategy and planning or at least intelligence. Zeus didn't want any such gods. Mercury suggested I could be the god of sarcasm, but Zeus decided he wanted me out of the way and as far from Hera as possible. Thus, my reward."
Seph frowned and then began counting on her fingers. She looked up and shock began to spread across her face. "That means you're…"
"Hades, at your service." He made a small bow. "I can remember only scattered bits and pieces of my life after that. Like the time Prometheus came to ask my help in giving fire to man. I knew Zeus was too powerful to defy without all the Titans and all but Prometheus had scattered across the world not wanting anything to do with the gods. If they were left alone, there would be no trouble. They had seen what Zeus had done to some of their more insane brethren. To my great regret I told Prometheus no deal and if he went ahead with this then he would learn why no good deed goes unpunished."
"I then saw what Zeus did to this good man for defying him, chained to a rock with a monster eating his liver for eternity and I did nothing about it."
"You're Hades?" Seph got to her feet and backed away. "You almost killed my dad and mom."
He looked at her sadly. "I don't remember any of that, but I can see from your expression that it's true. So, there's no hope for us is there?"
When she didn't answer, he sighed. "I will offer no excuses." Then a look of determination came over him and he strode towards the door. "But I can do something I should've done centuries ago."
"What? Kill Zeus?" She shouted. "You already tried that and failed." He did not reply and vanished out the flapping tent door.
She sat on the edge of the bed. How could she have been so insane? Falling in love with a murderous god like Hades had to prove how insane she was.
"It's all right, grand daughter. It's all going to be all right." She looked over in surprise. A glowing Hera was sitting beside her.
"How can it be all right? He's Hades." She snapped.
Hera shook her head. "The Hades that your mom and dad knew died that day when your dad knocked him into the river Lethe. The waters took all but his oldest memories after he had soaked in them for over twenty five years. It was like he had been given a second chance after he'd been driven insane by having to live in the underworld with only the dead and imps for company. Who wouldn't be driven insane by that, even a god?" She wrung her hands. "You must remember your grandfather can be a hard man and while he won't admit it I know he still harbors resentment that Ish and I got close and that Ish could do what he couldn't. Defeat Saturn."
"But he tried to kill my dad and caused my mother to be killed." Seph protested.
"He thought he was going to kill your dad, but he failed. Why? Because he used a potion which he got from Kali that was so diluted he had to know it was almost certain to fail. His real spirit deep inside him betrayed him at every turn. I believe that was why he didn't imprison me when he tried to take over Mount Olympus and left me free to bless your dad's sword with the magic which began to unravel his mad scheme. It was why he didn't assign an imp to guard your mother Meg to keep her safe. His agreement with Hercules was broken when she got hurt. Do you think someone who'd been planning a coup for over thirty years would forget something as elemental as that if he didn't want to fail? Child, he didn't kill your mother, a falling marble pillar did that."
Steph stared at her and then turned away. "You're asking me to accept a lot. I don't know if I can. By Achilles and Agamendon, he's Hades!"
"And he is also Ish, one of the most vulnerable of the gods with a deeper sense of caring than most." Hera said quietly. "Never forget that either."
"I don't know if I can ever forget or forgive that he's Hades." Steph did not look back as she went through the opposite flaps and left her grandmother standing there.